Boruto & Sarada
by fauxpomme
Summary: Follow Boruto and Sarada's daily lives as they slowly but surely come to understand each other, even if just a tiny step closer each day.
1. Chapter 1: TOW Sarada Tutors Boruto

"No way, Sarada," Boruto says. "Why should I show you?"

But already Sarada has slid past Boruto and seized the papers. She is impatient to see if she has won the bet against Mitsuki. Boruto fights back, but Mitsuki steps in between them and locks him up with his extended arms.

"Mitsuki, even you -!"

A quick glance was all it took to draw a cheeky grin on Sarada's face. Her long lashes cast a shadow on her cheeks as the sun sets.

"Pfft!" She pans the papers in Mitsuki's face. "I won!"

Mitsuki retracts his arm from a dumbfounded Boruto.

"You guys bet on my history scores?!"

Mitsuki shrugged innocently. "She said you weren't gonna get anything over 40; I thought there's no way that could happen, right? After all, you're the Seventh's son and the Fourth's grandson – soon enough you too will become Hoka – "

"I'm the one who's gonna become Hokage!" Sarada throws the papers at Mitsuki but he evaded them with ease.

With a sly grin on his face, the silver-haired boy attempted to calm a boiling Boruto with his hands lifted in surrender. A word of apology was about to escape his lips when he heard footsteps approaching the classroom. The other two had their eyes locked on the doorway and instinctively went on guard. They began to notice the light scent of chalk, the sound of the birds chirping, and struggled to figure out the approaching stranger. But the door slid open before they could recognise the footsteps, and in the doorway stood their team leader, hiding a smile behind his fist.

"I can't help but overhear your conversation." Konohamaru scratches his head. "But I have a feeling you three kids are missing an important point here."

The trio exchanged glances as if to find answers in each other's eyes.

"Your test scores, they get averaged out across the semester, as a team."

Sarada's widened in surprise while Boruto, visibly stifling a chuckle, took a step back. What does that mean? Sarada has worked so hard this time that she could finally recite all the names of the Kages across the villages, present and past, including their aides and family members. She could finally beat Mitsuki at the war strategy component, and she would top the class. Mom is going to praise her, and dad may even send her a congratulatory letter. Boruto? He slacked off the entire term, preferring to practice combat skills and neglect theoretical studies.

"No way! That makes no sense." She waves her hands up and down, demanding an explanation. "That's simply not fair!"

Mitsuki, who has been observing quietly in the corner finally speaks up, "Does it mean that – since Sarada scored 90, I scored 85, and Boruto a _pathetic_ 32, our scores will be recorded as 207/3 = 69 each?"

"Yes, Mitsuki. The Seventh has just introduced this system to encourage teamwork in our meetings earlier, so I guess Iruka-sensei must've not announced it yet." 

* * *

The sun has now fully set. It is time for the Uzumaki ladies to prepare dinner for their weary men. Usually, Boruto helps out, but he has a guest to entertain today. Or rather, the guest is entertaining him in a way.

"How can you not remember?!" Sarada spoke loudly, holding back a yell in the house of a family friend. "Kankuro is Uncle Gaara and Aunt Temari's sibling!"

"But I rarely see him!" Boruto protests. The smell of curry chicken triggers a deafening growl from Boruto's insides, drowning out the sound of simmering pots and chopping from the kitchen. There was a moment of silence, before the entire house erupts into a frenzied laugh. But Sarada was dead serious.

Hinata walks over to the dining table with two bowls of curry on rice. "Here, have this. I'll be cooking a second batch for Naruto and Himawari so you two can have dinner first."

"Thanks, mom," Boruto rubs the back of his head in embarrassment.

As Hinata returns to the kitchen, Sarada pulls Boruto's bowl away from him. "There are three more tests coming up, and you're going to score at least an 80 for each of them." She scoops a spoon of curry with rice and holds it in front of Boruto. "Now, you concentrate."

Seeing this, Boruto turns bright red and quickly snatches the spoon away from Sarada. "I'll feed myself!" He chugs the food in his mouth. "We need a break anyway."

Hands on the table and quick on her feet, Sarada was ready to object when she noticed Hinata's concerned stare coming from the kitchen. "Fine, a break it is."

As Boruto gobbles up his dinner, Sarada walks to the kitchen to thank Hinata and Himawari to the food. She comes back to the table and enjoys her food silently, until she noticed a pair of blue sapphire eyes set on her.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Just wondering."

"Wondering what?"

"Y'know, you, and your stubborn behaviour towards studying."

Sarada could feel a vein pop in her head. "Why do you study?" Boruto asks while stuffing his cheeks with his dinner.

"Why? So I can get good scores, of course. Get ahead in life."

"And?"

"And I get recognised; I become Hokage. I'll connect with all the villagers, I'll protect everyone."

"Pfft!"

Sarada drops her cutleries, clearly annoyed by Boruto's response to her committed declaration. She stretched her hands forward and pinches his cheeks full of food. "What's so funny, ninja-boy?"

"Aaa-aaa-aahhhh! Stop that!"

Boruto tries to pull Sarada's hands apart, but he was no match to Sarada's strength with her chakra boost. Himawari giggles in the corner as she turns on the tap in the sink.

"I was just laughing at myself! Really!"

"At what?"

"I don't know why I'd bother asking you why you are working so hard. You've been repeating the Hokage thing like a broken record anyway…"

Sarada releases him, but not without a final glare. "What about you?"

"What about what?"

"What do you want to be when you grow up? Why is it just me talking about mine?"

"Haha…" Boruto glanced sideways and smiled, pretending to look at his mother sweating away in the kitchen. With eyes back on Sarada, he tilted his head sideways. "I've told you already. I'll support you with your dreams."

Sarada's cheeks flushed red as she recalls his bold declaration after the battle with Momoshiki. Is he for real? What does my dream have to do with him anyway? She stiffens up in her chair and grabs her cutleries.

"T-There's no way…" Sarada clears her throat. She couldn't hold eye contact with Boruto. With her hands shaking, she points her fork at Boruto.

"There's no way someone who does this b-bad in exams c-can be H-Hokage's aide…"

Seeming completely oblivious to her odd behaviour, Boruto pouts in response. The night felt chillier than usual, and Boruto started rubbing his hands together. Must be warmer on Sarada's side – she's closer to the stove. Fumes of delicious cooking vanish into the ventilator, and rushing water in the sink fills the silence.

Sarada shoves her face into the food in attempt to forget Boruto's words. Why did they make her feel so happy? Maybe she shouldn't take him so seriously. He is, after all, the number one prankster in town who prefers fun over studying. He probably manned up a little and stopped seeking attention from his dad as much as he used to, but Boruto will forever be Boruto, right?

"Fine," Boruto relents. "I'll study hard."

Did she hear that right? Boruto? Saying he'll study? Maybe she did. Maybe he's just making empty promises.

"Time for dinner, Naruto, Himawari."

She would soon find out that even the little prankster has a serious side to him…


	2. Chapter 2: TOW The Chocolate Run

"I'm telling you all men read porn!"

Boruto's loud declare brought the hustle and bustle in the restaurant down to a quiet whisper. All that could be heard was Konohamaru slapping his forehead wishing he would disappear. As Mitsuki lifted a Shanghai dumpling off the bamboo basket, Sarada stood up in protest.

"No way! Just because you've read porn doesn't mean all men do that!"

Wouldn't it be healthy for children to express their opinions instead of bottling up their feelings, or arguing with their mouths instead of their fists? Except these two have never agreed on anything. No, it wasn't just about whether or not all men read porn. It was about whether tomato is a fruit or a vegetable. It was about whether video games develop your mind or just a complete waste of time. It was extremely infuriating, vexing, and embarrassing all at the same time. Oh, not for them; for the one who's supposed to lead them, Konohamaru, of course. Something has to be done about these kids!

And that was the reason for the field trip.

* * *

Konohamaru led them all into the concrete lawn and everyone drifts around the chalked area with Ferrero Rochers lying on the ground. Some were blindfolded, guided by others who were not. For those who couldn't see, the morning chill biting their skin suggested that they are outdoors. But they still didn't know what the blindfold was for, and why Team Moegi was with them.

"Here's what we are going to do," Konohamaru breaks the quiet walk out of the house. The young Genins were mostly yawning or rubbing their eyes, visibly tired from a short night's sleep.

"We will be playing a game I call Chocolate Run. For those of you who can't see, there is a chalked square right in front of you with bar stools and Ferrero Rochers distributed randomly. The guides are to lead the blind in collecting these chocolates and place them on the plastic plates held by your receivers."

"But we can't see?" Inojin asks with his head tilted sideways.

"You can't," Moegi interrupts. "That's what your guides are for."

"What?!" Boruto raises his arm, yanking off Sarada's grip. "I have to listen to Sarada?"

"I'm not any more pleased than you are." Sarada folds her arms and pouts.

"Of course, only the blindfolded ones are allowed in the chalked area." Konohamaru smiles coyly. "And you only get thirty seconds."

Arms on hips, Shikadai heaved a sigh of weariness. "Why bother?"

Chouchou bit her finger. No one has asked the most important question! Why are they missing the elephant in the room? That was when Moegi noticed Chouchou's longing stare, and clarified that all of the chocolates will go to the winner.

You could almost see the fire lit up in Chouchou's eyes as she burned with newfound motivation for the game. Even with his eyes covered, Inojin knew for sure he would be in for trouble if he loses this game.

Both teams were given two minutes to agree on communication and strategy, but that went by in an instant and all they could remember was the loud clap coming from Moegi.

"And the game starts… now!"

* * *

Boruto dives straight in without thinking and not surprisingly, he hits a stool.

"Hey!" Sarada yells. "I haven't even said anything!"

"Well then be quick!"

Clearly peeved from Boruto's antics, Sarada restrains herself from slipping into the usual pattern of arguing with Boruto. On the other team, Chouchou's guiding voice resounded throughout the lawn – she sounded almost like a dictator.

"There's one right in front of you!" Sarada screamed out loud, trying to reach Boruto but very much in vain. Chouchou's voice drowned hers out quite easily.

With a couple of strained yells, a word or two gets to Boruto, and he obeys reluctantly. He was slightly disoriented with Chouchou's constant yells. Before long, Chouchou's winning voice brought their chocolate count to eight; team Konohamaru only managed a meager two.

Both plate holders made use of their long distance ninjutsus, Mitsuki moved the plate around with his extended arms while Shikadai used his shadow jutsus to do the same. Little did they know a minor detail like this could turn things around, because when Boruto got to the plate, it didn't take him long to realize it was the wrong plate. Whoa, jackpot!

He quickly grabbed as many chocolates as his hands could hold and hollered for Mitsuki. Lucky for him Shikadai was slacking off, but Chouchou spotted what he was doing right away. Only problem is, she's not even close to the crime scene.

"Inojin, you have to stop Boruto! He stole our chocolates!"

Seeing this, Mitsuki extends his left arm to haul Inojin away, and with his right he was receiving chocolates from Boruto.

"Moegi-sensei, they're cheating!" Chouchou screams at the top of her lungs.

The two adults gape in horror as they watch the kids derailing the game in less than ten seconds. "Time out!" Moegi shouts.

* * *

Bags of greens, carbs, and fruits weighed the trio down as they walked through the merry streets of Konoha. It was a fitting punishment for the kids who hated housework more than anything else, and it doesn't stop there. They have cooking duties tonight. What's worse, Konohamaru has given them the slip after spotting the latest copy of 'A Trip to Heaven'!

"This sucks!" Sarada complains. Her arms felt like they are about to come off under all that weight. "We lost, we have to get groceries, and our perverted team leader slacked off!"

"At least we get to pick all of our favourite food. This feels more like a reward than punishment to me." A wide smile spread across Mitsuki's face as he carried the groceries with much ease compared to the other two.

"How is this rewarding? This is clearly a punishment, a P-U-N-I-S-H-M-E-N-T." Boruto drops an apple on the ground. It bruised on impact, and the fragrance of the red fruit seeped out.

"And whose fault is this?"

"Well, if Miss Guide acted like one we wouldn't have to try something new."

"I didn't know they called cheating 'something new' these days."

Strange rumbles on the street shook the apple further away from Boruto. Other villagers looked just as confused, because there was never an Earthquake in the village. It sounds like an Earthquake, and felt like one too. What was going on? The befuddled expressions quickly disappear when a man tore down the streets with a large boar right behind him.

"Oh no, we have to do something!" Sarada whines. "Ugh, these bags of rocks…!"

"Leave it with me." A few quick hand seals and three Boruto bunshins appeared, taking over the groceries from the trio. "Let's go!"

They ran, as fast as their legs could carry them. But it's simply not fast enough. The speed and size of that boar – it's a surprise the man could even outrun him for a couple of minutes. There was no way they were going to catch up. That was when Mitsuki had an idea.

"Grab me."

"What?" Boruto turned, surprised.

"I said grab me."

"Look, dude, there's boobs in my porn –"

Sarada got in between the two boys and grabbed them both. "Shut up and just hold on tight!"

With one swift motion, Mitsuki stretches his arms forward and grabbed electric poles far ahead. Like rubber, it propelled them forward so quickly they could feel the air brushing against their cheeks. They caught up to find the boar having cornered the poor man in an alley.

* * *

The boar leaned in, and with a glint in its eye you could tell it was ready to pounce. Right as the boar lifted its front leg, Sarada dashed in front of the man. By building chakra into her firsts, she took apart the ground beneath the boar. The boar's legs shook in fear of the red-eyed girl with monstrous strength. Boruto pummelled it relentlessly, hoping to weaken the wild swine but to no avail. Instead, the boar regained footing and turned to Boruto with eyes that spelt attack.

Boruto broke into a dizzying sweat as the boar took a swipe that missed him by but a hair's breadth, only because Mitsuki tripped the boar with a powerful blow to its hind legs. Using Kuchiyose-no-Jutsu, he quickly summoned a giant snake out of thin air that held the boar down with ease.

Boruto and Sarada both stared in surprise, not knowing Mitsuki was capable of doing that. But that, they decided, would be an interrogation for next time.

"Are you alright?" Sarada's concerned look went away when she noticed the man's relieved smile. As he stood up, he revealed what seemed like a piece of cushion that he was carrying. It was wrapped in cloth, and from the way he held it, it looked heavy.

"Thank you," said the stranger. "I'd have been lunch if you didn't save me there."

Getting thanks for their work was not a first for the team, but saving someone in a pinch voluntarily was definitely new. When their clients say thanks, Konohamaru is usually the one handling all the talk. Now there were no words, only smiles.

"I gotta say, you really deserve something for fending off that feisty one. Maybe I'll cut you a share when I sell this bad boy." He held out what he was protecting from the boar earlier, the one that was wrapped in cloth. As the cloth fell off, inside laid something brown and furry. Perhaps 'protecting' is not quite the right term.

The three Genins stared in horror as the man held out a sow, presumably stolen from its very mother. The poor animal was trembling in fear as tears welled up in its eyes. Instinctively, Boruto jabs the man in his ribs while Sarada grabs the sow in her arms.

"Are you mad? What was that for?" The man stepped forward in rage, his eyes widened in anger.

" YOU'RE the one who's mad!" Boruto stepped in between him and Sarada, ready to take him on. "What were you thinking, taking him away from his mother?"

"I was going to cut you a share, but that's not happening anymore. Give him back."

"Try us," Sarada hugged the sow tighter.

The man takes a step forward, subconsciously knowing the foolishness of taking on three kids who brought down a wild boar. It was purely fuelled by resentment. All the hard work he did trying to study the boar's daily patterns. Figuring out when was best to strike. The sow would sell for a good price, people like them as pets these days. Throw them away when they get big and no longer cute.

His fists were clenched, ready to wallop the kids, but the atmosphere was heavy. And then he saw Mitsuki's glare. There was something in his glare that was very intimidating, as if getting physical here was the worst mistake he could ever make in his life. Those eyes threaten that he would never live to tell the tale should he make the wrong move.

After a moment of hesitation, he managed a few words.

"I'm out." He started heading out of the alley, and with a low voice he cursed the kids for ruining his catch of the day. He walked away, never turning back.

* * *

On a nearby roof, Konohamaru watched quietly as Mitsuki releases his summon and Sarada returns the sow to the boar. He watched quietly as Sarada hugs her teammates happily even though the two boys were not terribly keen for a hug.

Perhaps there was no need for him to instill teamwork in the kids.


End file.
